PM Surya Ghar Powers 9,369 Varanasi Homes With Rooftop Solar

Varanasi, a key district in Uttar Pradesh (UP), has been performing well under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana. The region witnessed an increase in solar installations, benefiting 549 households in February 2024, 2,856 in June 2024, 7,179 in October 2024, and reaching 9,369 in December 2024.

The region has seen the installation of rooftop solar systems in nearly 10,000 households under the program. According to an insight brief on scaling rooftop solar in India, released by RMI in December 2024, more than 60,000 residents have registered under the scheme. The number of rooftop solar (RTS) systems installed in the city has increased more than 15 times to nearly 10,000 in less than a year.

This progress brings Varanasi closer to its goal of solarizing 75,000 households under the PM Surya Ghar Program. The PM Surya Ghar Program aims to solarize 10 million households, making it the Government of India’s (GoI) most ambitious initiative for promoting RTS so far. The program offers households a capital subsidy of over 50% for RTS systems up to a capacity of 3 kW. Additionally, UP provides a state subsidy of ₹15,000 (US$178) per kW for systems up to 2 kW. As a result, consumers installing RTS systems up to 3 kW in UP are eligible for a total capital subsidy of over 60%—the highest offered by any Indian state.

Varanasi as a Model for PM Surya Ghar

Following the launch of the PM Surya Ghar Program, the UP New Energy Development Agency (UPNEDA)—the State Nodal Agency (SNA) for renewable energy—announced its goal to solarize 2.5 million households and set ambitious targets for each district. Since then, Varanasi has made notable progress under the program, achieving the second-highest deployment of RTS systems among districts in UP.

Streamlining Processes and Grievance Redressal

The successful implementation of the Varanasi model has accelerated the PM Surya Ghar scheme and strengthened the state’s solar policy targets. By replicating this model across UP, the state can make significant progress in solarizing 2.5 million households. The Varanasi model demonstrates effective collaboration between state, district, and city administrations, along with DISCOMs, vendors, banking institutions, and consumers. It serves as a blueprint for districts and cities across India to adopt, helping the country achieve its target of 50% non-fossil fuel power generation by 2030.